Last Summer in the City

Leo Gazzara, who moved to Rome for work in the late 1960s, is the protagonist of Gianfranco Calligarich's novel Last Summer in the City. He meets Arianna on his thirtieth birthday and spends the night driving around the city with her. The novel is a newly rediscovered classic of Italian literature, reminiscent of The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, and The Catcher in the Rye.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 19 August 2021
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Leo Gazzara, a struggling writer, leaves his family in Milan and moves to Rome in the late 1960s, seeking employment. However, he soon finds himself unemployed and immersed in an alcoholic haze, spending his days wandering between hotels, bars, romantic entanglements, and the homes of his wealthy friends. Rome, indifferent to his plight, leaves him feeling aimless and alone.

On the evening of his thirtieth birthday, Leo meets Arianna, a young woman who captivates him with her fragility and seductive nature. They spend the night driving around Rome in Leo's run-down Alfa Romeo, engaging in endless conversations. They start their day with a breakfast of brioche and continue drinking until the dawn. Their journey takes them to the sea and back, marking the beginning of a whirlwind romance.

Last Summer in the City is a newly discovered masterpiece of Italian literature, translated into English for the first time by Howard Curtis. Gianfranco Calligarich's debut novel is reminiscent of the great works of Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Salinger, with its romantic and despairing tone. The story follows Leo's journey as he falls in love and loses everything, providing a poignant portrayal of the complexities of human relationships and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.

Weight: 338g
Dimension: 144 x 225 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529042269